Stanley Rayfield

Second Place

Richmond , Virginia

Dad

Oil on canvas, 2008

My dad, Ralph Gabriel Rayfield, is my hero. This painting is a narrative about aspects of his life, and his struggles as a man. My dad is an acute diabetic. He had this disease long before he became my father. While raising me I have watched how this illness has caused tremendous complications. My dad has had heart surgeries, amputations, vision problems, infections, and a host of other medical traumas that have taken a toll on him and my family. Despite the trials my father has faced, he always put me first and gave whatever energy he had into raising me and teaching me how to be a man. My dad has endured very much in his life. I hope in this painting to convey even a portion of his vitality.